Adjustable thread advancing roll



May 26, 1953 H. J. M DERMOTT 1 2,639,436

ADJUSTABLE THREAD ADVANCING ROLL Filed March 17, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR. HENRY d. Mc OER MOTT ATTdH/VEV May 26, 1953 J, M DERMOTT2,639,486

ADJUSTABLE THREAD ADVANCING ROLL Filed March 17, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. HENRY J. Mc DERMO TT Patented May 26, 1953 ADJUSTABLE THREADGr B/QLL Henry J. McDermott, Collingdale, Pa,, 'assignor to AmericanWiscose Corporation,

Wilmington,

Del., a. corporation -.0f Delaware Application March .17, 1948,..ScrialNo. 15,287

"7- Claims. (01528- 715) This invention relates to a thread advancingapparatus and particularly to the type on which thread is advanced oninclined rolls.

It is well "known that strands may be passed around a pair of rolls ordrums having axes canted or set askew to one another in order to obtaina helical strand path. In'this manner, a running strand material may becaused to travel aboutthe rolls for a number of convolutions dependingon the length of the rolls and/or the cant or askewness between theiraxes. The rolls may be used to merely advance the strand or they maybeused for strand storage while subjecting the strand to drying, dyeing,washing or various other fiuicl treatments. The length and completenessof a treatment will vary for a given linear strand speed according tothe number of convolutions traversed in the treatment zone.

Recently in patent applications Ser. Nos. 759,456 and 760/257 (bothapplcations filed May 26, 1947, and now abandoned) methods and apparat-ushave "been disciosed in which a strand is passed continuously throughgure '8 convalutions about rotors to accomplish chemical treatment ordrying. Convolutions of the figure 8" type are advantageous in a dryingoperation because the strand is in contact with a greater portion of thecircumference of the drum Surface of each rotor and also because thesurface of'the strand which bears on one "rotor is not the same surfacepresented to the other rotor. To obtain strand-advancing on rotors woundin figure 6" fashion, the rotors are turned in opposite directions theaxes thereof are canted With respect to one another. The-greaterthedegree of canting, the-greater is the spacing between sepa--convolutions of strand. When rotors are operated in connection with atreating process such as drying, the time required by the process mayberegulated by the immber or" convolutions. This may be done by eitherchanging the length of the rotorsor-the degree of eanting. Since havinglong rotors introduces complication and dithcultiesinto-machinerydesignsuch as thatof continuous rayon yarn machinery, it is desirable toadjust the degree of canting of the axes of the drums :or rotors supportthe strand material.

It :is a principal -obj ectiof this invention to providethread-advancing rolls, the axis f one of the-rolls .adjustably cantablewith respect to the other. it :is also an-object to provide continuousstrand-processing equipment readily adjustable to yariable processingperiods. otherobjects, 'advantages and features of the -'invention will*be apparent as the invention is described.

In the drawing illustrative of the invention,

Fig. 1 is an elevation view of a section taken along the axes of rotorshafts;

Fig. '2 is aside View partially in section of apparatus in Fig. '1

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cutaway view showing supporting brackets for aportion of the apparatus in Fig. 1 and a setscrew for applying liftingforce to one of the brackets; and

Fig a illustrates diagrammatically an important modification of theembodiment shown in Fig. 1.

An apparatus according to the invention is shown in Fig. "l of thedrawing which comprises a worm or spiral gear drive for 'two threadadvancing rotors wherein the axis of the shaft for one rotor is fixedwith respect to a driving shaft, and the shaft axis .of the other rotoris .tiltab'le. Tilting of the lattershaft is limited to tangentialdisplacement of its'axis along an are about the axis of the drivingshaft, the radius of the are being the distance between the axis of theadjustable rotor shaft and the axis of the drive shaft. The axes of therotor shafts remain at all times substantially in the same plane.

Referring specifically'to Fig. '1, a gear 5 secured on-the driving shaft6 meshes with gears ii and '9 mounted on rotor shafts "i0 and Mrespectively on opposite sides of the gear 5. The gears 3 and Qareturned iii-opposite directions. Shafts 5 and H) are rotatably supportedwithin the case it with axes fixed with'respect-to each other. Supportfor the shaft B isobtainedthrough ;two hearing brackets M and 1:5attached to the wall of casing I 2. Bearing sleeves it and ii extendthrough the brackets I l and i5 respectively and along the shaft-i3toward opposite sides of the casing I'2. Set screws t9 prevent thesleeves from turning in the bearingbrackets M and It. The portions ofthe-sleeves extending beyond the bear- .ing brackets it and it provideexterior surfaces on which supportbraeketsfiiland 23 (best shown inFigs. 3 and 4) may be pivoted. Brackets 22 and 23 are attachable to andprovide right and left support of a tiltable casing 2-5 "(as viewed inFig. 2) which houses the rotor shaft 11 and the like structure 27 at theend most removed from the shaft 6. Pin 28 extends through the clevisstructure 21 to provide a lifting surface on the exposed portion 29 ofthe pin against which a lifting force may be exerted to produce tiltingor rotation of the casing 2|] about the axis of shaft 6. To supply alifting force upwards on pin 28, a set-screw 30 having a tapered endportion projects through the wall of casing 12. Set screw 30 extends inthreaded engagement through a sleeve 3| which is fixed to the wall.Movement of the set-screw 30 inwardly of the case 12 produces clock-wisemotion (as viewed in Fig. 1) of the case about the axis of driving shaft6 and change in the axial alignment of shaft H with respect to shaft l0.As the two shafts I0 and II are moved farther from parallel alignment,greater advancing of the strand is obtained and separate convolutions ofthe strand are spaced farther apart longitudinally along the rotors and35; obviously, less convolutions will then be supported on the rotors.Consequently by adjustment of the set screw great variation may beobtained in the number of strand convolutions supported on the rotors.At a given linear strand speed, the number of convolutions governs thetime expended by the strands in passing over the rotors. When suchcanted rotors are used in strand-treating processes, such as drying ordyeing, periods of treatment may be conveniently regulated by thetilting arrangement just described.

Rotor 25 may be tilted with respect to rotor while the rotors arerotating. However, duringsuch adjustment stretching must occur in thestrand as the convolutions about the rotors are lengthenedsimultaneously with the canting of the axes thereof. If the adjustmentis made slowly, the stretching of the strand which occurs during theadjustment period will be distributed over a considerable length ofstrand without damage thereto. If preferred, however, the strand may beremoved from the rotors, the rotor 25 tilted, and the strand thereafterlaced about the rotors.

As another embodiment in the invention, apparatus is shown in Fig. 4wherein the rotors turn in the same direction and the axes thereof maybe inclined in a common plane. The arrangement shown in Fig. 4 issimilar to that shown in Fig. 1 except that an intermediate gear means,comprising a gear 38 and a gear 36 both fixed to the shaft 31, isrotatably supported within case 2011 on an axis fixed and parallel withrelation to the axis of shaft Ila. On account of the shape of the teethof gear 38, it is preferable instead of meshing gear 38 with gear 9a, toprovide an extra gear 36 to drive the gear 9a, these gears being of astandard type used to carry power from one shaft to a parallel shaft. Asthe case 20a is tilted about the axis of shaft 611, gear 9a and theassembly comprising gears 38 and 36 always remain in the same alignmentwith each other. By this arrangement, the rotors 25a. and 3550. alwaysturn in the same direction whereas the rotors of Fig. 1 turn in oppositedirections. The letter a has been added to numerals used in Fig. 1 todesignate parts of similar function in Figs. 1 and 4. However, as afurther embodiment (not illustrated), an intermediate gear assembly suchas the coaxial gears 38 and 36 may be used to transmit power between thegears 6a and 8a, with proper offsetting of gear 8a along shaft Illa, inlieu of its position between gears 6a and 9a as illustrated in Figure 4.

The apparatus of the invention may be readily adapted to processes wherestretching or shrinking is desired by providing rolls or rotors ofsuitable contour; for example, stretching rolls would have conicity andincrease in diameter longitudinally of the rolls in the direction inwhich the strand is advancing whereas shrinking rolls would haveconicity in the opposite direction.

The adjustable rotor system described above may be used in treatingfilamentary bundles or strands of any desired material in any treatingprocess which may be conducted while the strand is passing over a roll.The apparatus comprising oppositely turning rolls, as a result ofadvantages inherent in the figure 8 convolutions formed, is especiallyuseful in drying strand materials of natural and/or artificialfilaments. The invention is intended for use in treating such naturalfilaments as cotton, wool, and silk and artificial filaments such asthose from regenerated cellulose as from viscose or from cuprammoniumcellulose, cellulose acetate, vinyl-resin filaments such as those ofpolyvinyl chloride, copolymers of vinyl chloride with vinyl acetate orwith acrylonitrile, and those from polyvinylidene chloride.

The rolls used in the invention may be interiorly heated as by steam,hot water or other hot fluids conducted thereto by a device such as ahollow rotor shaft or the cylindrical surfaces thereof drilled forcarrying treating fluids such as dyeing or conditioning solutions to theconvoluted strand, or the rolls may be partly or wholly immersed intreating liquids. The rolls may also be used as electrodes forelectrically treating the strand, such as in a high frequencyelectrostatic and electromagnetic field.

By this invention, a two roll thread-advancing apparatus is provided onwhich a strand may be advanced on rolls rotating in the same directionor in opposite directions. A principal advantage of the invention overprior devices is the ease with which the inclination of the axes of therolls or rotors may be varied while the rolls are driven from a singlepower supply element. While a setscrew extending through the wall of onecasing acting on a tiltable casing comprises the means described forobtaining inclination of the axes of the rotor shafts, this device isillustrative only and other adjustable arrangements for tilting such atiltable shaft or casing may be provided. In addition to manual tiltingcontrol, means may be provided for automatically controlling theinclination of the axes of the rotor shafts in order to vary the lengthof time during which a strand is traversing the rolls, which areresponsive to changes in pH, temperatures, tension, or solutionconcentration.

It is understood that changes and variations may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for handling filamentary materials comprising twosubstantially similar rotors and supporting shafts therefor having axessubstantially within a plane, a power shaft perpendicularly intersectingthe plane midway between the two rotor shafts, a gear fixed on the powershaft, gears fixed on each of the rotor shafts meshing with the gear onthe power .shaft, a casing for rotatably supporting the power shaft andone of the rotor shafts, another casing for supporting the other rotorshaft pivotably supported within the first-named casing and pivotableabout the power shaft axis, an adjustable means mounted on thefirst-named casing for rotating the other casing about its pivot.

2. An apparatus for handling filamentary materials comprising twosubstantially similar rotors and supporting shafts therefor having axessubstantially within a plane, a power shaft perpendicularly intersectingthe plane midway between the two rotor shafts, a gear fixed on the powershaft, gears fixed on each of the rotor shafts meshing with the gear onthe power shaft, a stationary casing for rotatably supporting the powershaft and one of the rotor shafts, a second casing pivotably supportedwithin the stationary casing and pivotable about the power shaft axisand supporting the other rotor shaft, a setscrew in threadedrelationship with the stationary casing and extending inwardly of thecasing to engage a surface of the second casing to cause pivotingmovement thereof.

3. An apparatus for handling filamentary materials comprising two rotorsand shafts therefor having axes substantially within a plane, a powershaft which extends perpendicular to the plane at a point between therotor shafts, a housing for rotatably supporting one of the rotorshafts, said housing being supported pivotally with respect to the driveshaft axis, gear means for communicating power from the power shaft tothe rotor shafts comprising a gear on the drive shaft and a gear on eachof the rotor shafts in mesh with the drive shaft gear, and adjustablemeans for tilting the housing on its pivotal axis.

4. An apparatus for processing filamentary materials comprising tworotors and shafts therefor having axes substantially within a plane, adrive shaft extending perpendicularly to the plane at a point midwaybetween the rotor shafts when said shafts are parallel to each other, agear drive for communicating power from the drive shaft to both rotorshafts, a housing for supporting one of the shafts at a fixed radiusfrom the drive shaft axis, said housing being supported pivotally withrespect to the drive shaft axis, and adjustable means for tilting thehousing about its axis.

5. An apparatus for handling filamentary strands comprising twostrand-carrying rolls, shaft for the rolls lying substantially in acommon plane, a common drive shaft mounted perpendicular to the planewith its axis intersecting the plane at a point intermediate adjacentends of th roll shafts, gear means comprising a gear on the drive shaftfor driving the roll shafts, bearing means for one of the roll shafts, asupport for said bearing means, said support being mounted pivotally onthe axis of the drive shaft, and adjustable means for tilting thesupport on its axis whereby the inclination between the axes of therolls may be varied.

6. An apparatus for handling filamentary materials comprising two rotorsand shafts therefor having axes substantially within a plane, a powershaft intersecting the plane at a point between the rotor shafts, a gearon the power shaft, a gear on one rotor shaft in mesh with the powershaft gear, a gear on the second rotor shaft, an intermediate gearsupported in mesh with the gear of the second rotor shaft, a secondintermediate gear coaxially mounted for rotation with the firstintermediate gear, said second intermediate gear being supported in meshwith the power shaft gear, and adjustable means for varying theinclination of one of the rotor shafts within the plane whilemaintaining its axis tangential to an arc of a circle whose radius isthe distance between the axes of the rotor shaft with which theadjustable means is associated and the power shaft.

'7. An apparatus for handling filamentary material as in claim 6 whereinthe intermediate gears and adjacent rotor gear are supported in a casingtiltable with respect to the power shaft ax1s.

HENRY J. MCDERMO'I'I.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,034,657 Hartmann et a1. Mar. 17, 1936 2,074,022 OppenlaenderMar. 16, 1937 2,129,284 Uytenbogaart Sept. 6, 1938 2,136,556 Lovett Nov.15, 1938 2,155,324 Moritz Apr. 18, 1939 2,284,399 Lely et a1. May 26,1942

